Re: auto dealership:

What a lot of people forget about remotes is the concept of "incentive". If the incentive is
right, people will respond.

Case in the point (extreme, though it was): Back in the 80's, I was doing a Saturday afternoon remote on a 90 plus degree day on, yes, a used car lot. Nobody in their right mind would have been there, and for the first 45 minutes of the 2 hour remote, nobody was.

The owner of the dealership shows up. I'm thinking, "I'm dead. He's gonna want to know what kind of schlub jock I am because I'm on the air and no one's here." When I saw the owner, I was kind of apologetic. He asked why? I told him, I was hoping we'd sell him a car that day.

He said, "You want to sell a car? Hold on, I'll be right back." Off to the office he went. A few minutes later, he came back with a set of keys and took me over to this used car. He explained, yeah, it's a beater. But, he said his mechanic had checked it out and determined it was mechanically sound and would be a good car for, say, someone's kid who would be going off to college.

Then Mr. Dealer asked our station frequency. I told him 95.3. He said, "OK, on your next break tell people that the first person who comes in here with 95 dollars cash in hand can drive off with this car." I was dumbfounded, and asked if he was serious. He said yes.

So I said what he told me to say on the next break. Within 5 seconds, people were doing U-turns in the middle of the street to get into his lot! And enough traffic was generated from that stunt that they sold 2 more cars that afternoon.

As the madness was going on, Mr. Dealer (who was by then walking toward his car), looked at me and said, "You were worried that no one was listening?"

I've never forgotten that lesson. Too bad the people who buy and the people who sell remotes don't learn it.

Re: auto dealership:

Car Dealer Remotes

Originally Posted by 12 In a Row

I'm amazed in 2011 commercial radio remotes still exist.

For the most, a beat up station van shows up with rundown sound equipment, a cheesy pop up tent with a jock and intern wearing worn out station polo shirts. The breaks are either recorded or live over a crappy cell phone or marti.

"Stop on by, get a free hot dog. We're having a great time at ______."

OMG, cancel our weekend plans, we're heading over to _____! ;D

Car Dealer Remotes died when Car Dealers quit wanting to pay for, or take ANY risks at all. I can't tell you how many times I have come out of my own pocket to make a remote work. But you are right, the stations quit caring too. That's why I don't sell them anymore. Why waste my Saturday for something the client, and the station don't give a shit about?
This used to be why radio was a great fit for Car Dealers.......